The ceaseless bloodletting that has been the lot of some Northern parts of the country coloured the Easter celebrations, yesterday, throwing several families in Kaduna and Makurdi into mourning. 58 persons died when a suicide bomber killed 36 persons in Kaduna even as 22 others lost their lives in Makurdi as a church building collapsed on worshippers during Easter vigil mass.

The tragedy in Kaduna occurred, yesterday, when a car loaded with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded with a suicide bomber at the busy Sardauna Crescent Junction, Kaduna killing not less than 20 people on the spot. 16 others were later confirmed dead in several hospitals less than two hours after. Several others were also injured.

Eye witness account said five minutes before the incident, the car had approached the 1st ECWA Goodnews church, on Gwari Road close to the scene of the incident, but the desperate move by the driver to force his way through a blockade was frustrated by the Police.

When Vanguard arrived the scene of the blast about 45 minutes after, part of charred remains of the car engine, said to be a Honda Accord 2003(EOD) model with number plate BB111DKA, was seen about 500 metres from the point of the explosion which occured directly opposite Fina White Hotel.

Junction Road, by Sardauna Crescent, the place the explosion occurred In Kaduna, yesterday

The explosion dug a crater about two feet deep. It brought down the roof of Fina White Hotel.

A couple and their two year-old baby, the only guests at the time, came out of the hotel unhurt.

It was estimated that at least 60 buildings within 500 metres radius of the blast may need to be rebuilt.

Eight cars and scores of commercial motorcycles were either burnt or severely damaged.

Thousands of onlookers resisted concerted attempts by soldiers to keep them away from the scene that was cordoned off to both human and vehicular movement.

The smell of burnt human flesh still filled the air, while officials of the Red Cross, and Federal Road Safety Corps picked up human remains into body bags. Human blood mixed with engine oil was noticed on the tarred road.

It was a gory spectacle. But it could have been worse had the intended target been hit – a church with thousands of worshipers.

All police men should be provided wt bomb detective @ there various check points. If this was done, maybe the Police who was battling with this man would have detected this car as loaded with explosives